tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77414008328584889412024-03-05T12:32:41.353-08:00Soy In LoveAletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-81940702585504725062013-02-19T10:37:00.002-08:002013-02-19T10:37:55.066-08:00She's Baaaaaaaaaack!Hello! So, nearly one year since my last post, and I decided to start blogging again. Not because I have so much time (just the opposite really), but more because I feel like my second baby is getting "forgotten" in that I haven't been documenting this pregnancy AT ALL. Poor kid! Yes, I am halfway through my second pregnancy. Baby #2 is due near June 24, and it's gone by way too fast.<br />
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The pregnancy has been pretty uneventful thus far. I've felt great. Just a little nausea in the first trimester, but nothing really notable. Honestly, I'm so busy working part-time and giving piano lessons and staying at home full-time, that I haven't given this baby/pregnancy a TON of thought. Not to say we're not super excited--we definitely are!<br />
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I had my 21 week appointment earlier this week and everything looked/sounded great. Just like Gemma, this baby is keeping us guessing with its heartbeat--in the 140s. My weight gain is completely different this time around. With Gemma, I think I gained about 1 pound my first trimester and then caught up my second trimester. This pregnancy, however, my weight gain has been a little more consistent. I would still say I've gained about the same amount of weight at this point as with my first pregnancy.<br />
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I've been staying fairly active, playing volleyball once a week, chasing a toddler around, and doing<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Fitness-Dvd-Trimester-February/dp/B0079QDAFK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=7LOQAG7I795R&coliid=IDOMIW3QMEUJR"> this video</a> 2-3 times a week. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good, but I do have evenings where I feel like the day just wiped me out.<br />
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And, here is the only photo I have taken of myself while pregnant with baby number #2.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">21 weeks 3 days</td></tr>
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<br />Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-54089205920450883412012-03-03T06:59:00.000-08:002012-03-03T06:59:28.547-08:00Gemma: 9 monthsAnother month, another time you get to hear me say "Where did my little baby go?" I was recently looking through some old photos of Gemma and I can't believe how much she has changed! I used to see a little bit of me in her (mostly in the mouth/smile), but I only see Jeff in her these days. She is the spitting image of her daddy. She definitely has her mama's personality though. Here's why:<br />
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</div><div>-She loves to sing. Whenever I sing the "If all the raindrops" song, she skips ahead to the "ah ah ah ah ah ah" part! Love it.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-She loves to dance. (Just to be clear here, I do not dance. HOWEVER, I have been known to dance around like a fool to make my baby smile.) It's pretty darn cute now that she can stand on her own.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-She is learning baby sign. She has mastered "fan" and "milk" along with "hi" and "bye," and we're working on "apple," "hot," "eat," " night-night" and "dog." She also likes to clap.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-I know a lot of people might not believe this, but she is beginning to TALK. Yes, real words. She says "mama" and "daddy" in context. And, her cousin, Miles, taught her "cracker." She calls almost all of her snacks a cracker. Cheerios, bread, an actual cracker, you name it. :)</div><div><br />
</div><div>-Has regressed in regard to her sleeping habits. Ever since we went to Florida (which I think is a total coincidence) she has been up every 1-2 hours. I'm exhausted. Whenever I go into her room, she is standing up in her crib. I curse the day she learned to stand! (Not really.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>-Gemma standing on her own for about 30 seconds at a time. </div><div><br />
</div><div>-She finally learned how to crawl forward, and has been doing it for quite a while. I honestly probably didn't even know it, because she wants to be walked around the house constantly.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-Loves to take the stairs! When you hold onto her arms, she walks up the stairs, actually swinging her leg up to each step and pushing off.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-Loves to eat anything and everything. Especially loves meat. Yes, MEAT. Hamburger, chicken, ham.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-Our favorite game is to chase Harper around the house. Harper is way too fast for us, but its a fun game anyway. Gemma laughs and squeals, and I mostly just run out of breath. :)<br />
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-Has learned to jump on her bed already. I came in to get her up this morning, and she was so excited to see me, she started jumping while holding onto her crib railing.<br />
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-Is getting two more teeth. When these come through, that will be 10 for her!<br />
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As exhausting as this stage of her life has been, it has been so much fun to see the new things she is learning. I love seeing her little personality coming out!<br />
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We had her 9 month well baby check up yesterday, and I was surprised that there are no shots! And to think that I was dreading the appointment all week for nothing. (Well, not nothing. We waited over an hour. Not fun when your baby has already missed her nap to stay up for the appointment.) At any rate, her are Gemma's stats:<br />
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18 pounds 4 ounces (58%)<br />
28 inches long/2 feet 4 inches (77%)<br />
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And for some reason, they didn't give me her head stats! Guess I'll have to call in for those, so I can keep the baby book up-to-date.</div><div><br />
</div><div>What would be a monthly update without a couple of photos?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzUjV1A_Tcyj361q-tWrE3ajNkpjeFwVxKPHcb6f4aZPVgbIEilUoAI_2O_N90YufLswJhccKx4zbeKz0VWamiGNe5pM3wdUdAjl8btK1QEozxzFZUJJnmenrbD1JbMJB1UmPZHSa6Oeq/s1600/IMG_8514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzUjV1A_Tcyj361q-tWrE3ajNkpjeFwVxKPHcb6f4aZPVgbIEilUoAI_2O_N90YufLswJhccKx4zbeKz0VWamiGNe5pM3wdUdAjl8btK1QEozxzFZUJJnmenrbD1JbMJB1UmPZHSa6Oeq/s320/IMG_8514.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ha! Gemma didn't like the Santa at our late extended family Christmas in February.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFt2LHmFw8GKjLBtphCakdTe7puRDoWyiolNDqSMu8REBmLyLMz4q2ErbHQjpkfZc8cDuvrD6cPF_GC3UNVn6Hg5rAkT1zZ1Nc4A3cPRlVC6Liv5lc10DAkcwmsf7aebc78tBQkpHO5Tps/s1600/IMG_8351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFt2LHmFw8GKjLBtphCakdTe7puRDoWyiolNDqSMu8REBmLyLMz4q2ErbHQjpkfZc8cDuvrD6cPF_GC3UNVn6Hg5rAkT1zZ1Nc4A3cPRlVC6Liv5lc10DAkcwmsf7aebc78tBQkpHO5Tps/s400/IMG_8351.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma on her very first Valentine's Day. Her dress was her gift. :)</td></tr>
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</div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-77859157717190345672012-02-26T20:38:00.000-08:002012-02-26T20:38:04.168-08:00project 52 | week 4: wash + project 52 | week 5: woodenI am late again! But, I have a good excuse. Really I do. I was getting a card error with my camera and was unable to get my photos off. I'm just thankful my hubby figured it out, and that I didn't lose all of my photos! So without further ado....<br />
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week 4: wash<br />
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I had been thinking hard all week of a photo to take, and couldn't for the life of me think of a good subject. So, I took a picture of something I look at every. single. day. Does anyone else ever feel like their dishes are never done? Anyway. This photo is nothing great. I simply wanted to get it over with so that I could get my photo in on time. ha. Good plan! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9n31_WxVmXwfjSvQLNp0JZUcWe7j8E4EBanItlTAJFep8v0mCoVfTSUXGpOeMgS9YlaAfBxvWNxGfgwvht9T2NQ1o6dTXjHjKXFIRXkq_MiDaPjHE_n4ADdKfVxf8DwyJJMSTFUaFjx0f/s1600/IMG_8313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9n31_WxVmXwfjSvQLNp0JZUcWe7j8E4EBanItlTAJFep8v0mCoVfTSUXGpOeMgS9YlaAfBxvWNxGfgwvht9T2NQ1o6dTXjHjKXFIRXkq_MiDaPjHE_n4ADdKfVxf8DwyJJMSTFUaFjx0f/s320/IMG_8313.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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week 5: wooden<br />
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This is one of my favorite toys of Gemma's. It's a Dwell Studio (LOVE their stuff!) wooden shape sorter with a blue whale, an orange rhino, a red elephant, a green giraffe, and a yellow bird. Gemma is a little young for it, but its a good toy for me to help her identify shapes, animal sounds, animal names, and colors. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthZtsZKSaJG50tMCbKTEULqMMdW2Ui9ajq7W-8zBUTCIXx8Yf5KIrMXFF9eTz0uAHKdHINM_stUU0A27yDUiyN_mRu_vTiiHxYZJd2AokQUmDhIzDjfWR8hmtKp-eiKH5Pu_NcVJp7rQP/s1600/IMG_8535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthZtsZKSaJG50tMCbKTEULqMMdW2Ui9ajq7W-8zBUTCIXx8Yf5KIrMXFF9eTz0uAHKdHINM_stUU0A27yDUiyN_mRu_vTiiHxYZJd2AokQUmDhIzDjfWR8hmtKp-eiKH5Pu_NcVJp7rQP/s320/IMG_8535.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I'll be posting week 6: yellow soon. I know what my subject will be. I just haven't taken it yet. (I didn't want to keep taking photos until I knew that I would be able to get them off of the camera. I'm catching up, I promise!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-77274554043179425132012-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:002012-02-09T09:27:51.443-08:00Taste Test<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I've mentioned before, Gemma has been eating non-baby food solids for quite some time now. She first discovered <a href="http://www.target.com/p/Plum-Organics-Super-Puffs-Purple-Blueberry-Purple-Sweet-Potato/-/A-13325639?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C13325639&CPNG=baby&ci_sku=13325639&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=">Plum Organics</a> puffs at Christmas when she tried some of her cousin's. They're not sugary and have a subtle flavor. Gemma also likes Cheerios, so Jeff's parents decided to put them to the test. See which she prefers in the videos below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Plum Organics (these are strawberry and beet) wins!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-20493181219510130052012-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:002012-01-31T11:00:01.488-08:00project 52 | week 3: circleIf we're being technical, I guess this is a sphere. A sphere is a circle, but a circle cannot be a sphere, right? ha! Please, no one check up on me!<br />
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Jeff's parents bought us 36 pounds of oranges. Yes, 36 pounds. Only because they bought some for themselves and thought they were the best oranges of their lives. We gave some away, but are left with a ton. They are not the prettiest oranges, and Jeff said if I were really paying attention to detail in my photo, I would have picked better looking ones. (I looked! There were none!) Other than that small thing, he gave me kudos on my photo this time! (He knows way more about photography than I do and tries to teach me, but we tend to butt heads.)<br />
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So, without further ado, my ugly (but very tasty) oranges!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZIl80Wq1tpoWxPgmbyG6u0qaFzVr9TUcO7j3v2CPyYcvRJ98myv5FF357DXDgFh8eYwawNlip-1_llgQVglAA7ZOLSQCiqz4LFmPu2J9G-EchvAeUq2l6Z7w3fi5sGr80EMCIApkbm-6/s1600/IMG_7540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZIl80Wq1tpoWxPgmbyG6u0qaFzVr9TUcO7j3v2CPyYcvRJ98myv5FF357DXDgFh8eYwawNlip-1_llgQVglAA7ZOLSQCiqz4LFmPu2J9G-EchvAeUq2l6Z7w3fi5sGr80EMCIApkbm-6/s320/IMG_7540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-7701085714207251662012-01-30T14:52:00.000-08:002012-01-30T14:52:45.915-08:00Gemma: 8 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I know I say this every month, but it feels like I was just posting about Gemma's 7 month birthday. The days are going by too fast! During the winter months, I suppose that's okay.<br />
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I lament to Jeff almost every day that Gemma isn't my little baby anymore. She is my BIG baby. I'm amazed by how quickly she learns these days. She is so much fun and I'm really enjoying this stage of her life, but I do miss the days of when she was my little babe all nestled up in the bassinet in our bedroom.<br />
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Here are somethings Gemma is up to these days:<br />
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-Is on the go constantly. She does not crawl in the traditional sense, and I don't think she will. She tries to stand all of the time instead. She puts herself in the downward dog pose and moves her feet until she is where she wants to be and then plops herself into sitting position. <br />
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-Wants to walk around the house all the time (with our assistance). Her go to spot is the front door where Harper's bells hang. (Harper is bell trained).<br />
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-New favorite song is "I'm a Little Teapot." I have to admit I felt a bit like a square when my friends' kids are singing the latest songs on the radio, but oh well. So be it. I am a square. :)<br />
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-Is a little piggy. She is eating almost anything that is safe for her. She loves crackers, puffs, Cheerios, chicken, green beans, carrots, pear, apple, pretty much anything under the sun.<br />
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-All 8 of her teeth are fully through, and I'm pretty sure she's working on a 9th.<br />
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-Loves to brush her teeth.<br />
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-Loves other babies. We started baby sign class at ECFE the other week, and when we arrived and she saw the other kids, she flapped her legs and arms and had a huge smile on her face.<br />
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-Still cries (and by cries, I mean wails) when she sees/hears my dad. The only thing we can think of is that he is probably the loudest, most boisterous person she will ever be exposed to in her life. Maybe its his mustache? Not a clue...poor Grandpa. He says it doesn't bother him, but I'm sure its getting to him. He says to her, "Be nice to grandpa. When you're bigger, I'll take you to Daves (the local grocery store...for candy)!"<br />
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-Sleeping 4 hours a night still. Sometimes I'm in such a daze, I really don't know what I'm doing in the middle of the night. One night last week, I got up because I heard Gemma crying. When I got halfway to her room, she was calming down, so I went back to bed. A little while later, Jeff said to me "does she need to eat?" I totally thought I had already gone in there, so I was waiting for Jeff to go get her and rock her! Poor kiddo. <br />
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-We moved her mattress down a notch now as she is pulling herself up on the bars.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma's first yoga move: downward dog. She needs to work on her technique a bit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJ0aOFZKrPdnGQE5g2ecWSCSnIIXBLfPPqYyhU5SB0lZEWdjkfJPc7CrpIpTL9SqwqvnMson3I6UWpBWCiaam0QAOt6vikJ4v6wr_rm0UKGAfHrC4FotIp-fFoyFvJReIVogUyoAORzR4/s1600/bode.shoot.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJ0aOFZKrPdnGQE5g2ecWSCSnIIXBLfPPqYyhU5SB0lZEWdjkfJPc7CrpIpTL9SqwqvnMson3I6UWpBWCiaam0QAOt6vikJ4v6wr_rm0UKGAfHrC4FotIp-fFoyFvJReIVogUyoAORzR4/s320/bode.shoot.1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorites from our <a href="http://31ottercourt.blogspot.com/2012/01/kiddos-of-movie-night-photo-shoot.html">kiddo photo shoot</a> with <a href="http://31ottercourt.blogspot.com/">Christy</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-29527621461906225312012-01-26T21:46:00.000-08:002012-01-26T21:46:04.528-08:00project 52 | week 2: varietySo, here I am. Procrastinating again. Well, not procrastinating, EXACTLY. I had a hectic week, and honestly? Variety is a difficult subject! Every day, I would tell my husband, "I need to take my photo yet! What should I do? What should I do?" My initial though was to photograph my shoes. Leopard print heels, grandma flats, sexy boots, rain boots. But, lining them all up in a creative way was just too much work for me this week.<br />
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My next thought was the variety of flecks and height in our carpet. BORING. And, then, it hit me when I went out to the mailbox yesterday. I would photograph our wide array of magazine subscriptions. I rarely get the time to fully read through any of them, but I love having something to thumb through while I wind down in bed at night. And there you have my photo.<br />
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Jeff says my photo subject is boring, but when I prompted him for a better idea, he gave me nothing. While this may not be the most creative take on the word variety, I'm proud of myself for submitting a photo anyway. Maybe I will learn my lesson and push myself a little harder earlier in the week! I figure my ideas and photography skills can only keep improving. I can't wait to see where we'll all be halfway through the year and at the end!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-76073802544660509202012-01-18T11:43:00.000-08:002012-01-18T12:04:35.346-08:00Project 52Marta, over at <a href="http://martacarden.blogspot.com/">Something Good</a>, came up with a photo challenge. Take one photo a week for a year. She will randomly generate a word for each week, and then you take a photo of your own spin on the word. I saw last night that my friend, <a href="http://31ottercourt.blogspot.com/">Christy</a>, linked up and posted her photo; so, on a whim, I signed up, too. Today is the last day to post the photo for the first week and I work best under pressure. (Just ask my college professors!) <br />
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This week's word is: necessity. So far, photos are of technology, water, and light. (View the photos on the shared pinterest board <a href="http://pinterest.com/marta_jo/photography-project-52-2012/">here</a>.) I, being the mother of a child who does not like to sleep more than 3-4 hours at a time during the night, immediately thought of coffee. I live on coffee these days especially now that Gemma is on a routine that includes waking up every three hours AND being awake for the day at 6 a.m.<br />
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Wish me luck in making the commitment to take my photo every week! I'm definitely an amateur when it comes to taking photos, so bear with me. My goal in participating in this challenge is to improve my photo taking skills and to push myself to think more creatively. Oh, and p.s., I don't know Marta in real life, but I bet if you wanted to take the challenge and jump in even if you're late to the game, she would probably welcome you to the group!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-21211907418452312462012-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:002012-01-10T07:00:10.731-08:00Gemma: 7 monthsThe time is passing so quickly and it doesn't even seem like that much has happened in the last month. I'm a little late in posting this (what's new?), but better late than never!<br />
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Gemma is really the joy in our lives. We love having her with us pretty much 24-7. (Not to say that we don't have our moments when we'd love to give her to someone else! ;) ) Last week, she was babysat by my mom two days in a row as I had some business to take care of, and as silly as it sounds, we missed her! Jeff, who works full-time from his home office, even said he missed her that week. Okay. So enough gushing about how much we love her....I know everyone loves their babies, so I'm sure I'm not saying anything new here. Here's what our baby G is up to these days:<br />
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-She is still scooting backwards and doesn't really seem to care too much about crawling forward. She has now learned to scoot on her butt, too. Girl can get where she wants to go without crawling! I'm guessing she might skip it and move to walking sooner, but we'll see. Although her balance isn't great, she loves to be walked around the house.<br />
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-After an allergic reaction to pears (we think), she is back on the solids bandwagon. She's started eating organic puffs and little pieces of our food, too. I'm thinking to just try mostly feeding her pieces of food rather than get too involved in baby food. In fact, she has already eaten whole peas, broccoli, pieces of bread and muffin, wait for it...cookie! (Gah. My mother. :) ) I don't intend to wean her from breastfeeding, but think this might be a good alternative especially since....<br />
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-Girl has 6 teeth and is working on 2 more! Four bottom front teeth are the most prominent, and her two front teeth have shot through a bit, too. She's currently working on the two to the sides of her front teeth, which may be why...<br />
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-She still doesn't sleep more than 3-4 hours at a time during the night. I've had people ask me if I'm not sick and tired of getting up all the time, and the truth is, yes. It would be great to get a full 6 hours or so of uninterrupted sleep; however, its become my new norm. So, we'll go with it for now! I'll never get those precious moments when its just her and I bonding in the middle of the night back, so I'm not going to complain TOO much about it.<br />
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-She is learning to love new songs that I sing her. If You're Happy and You Know It and Pat a Cake are still favorites, but she also now enjoys "If All of the Raindrops" and "Shake Your Sillies Out." (I'm not sure if those are the proper names for those songs, but you get the gist.) <br />
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-Gemma is getting very good at playing independently for decent chunks of time. Every once in a while, she will whine when I walk away, but she quickly recovers when I tell her I'm still there. :)A<br />
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-Her brain is a little sponge right now. In the last couple of days she learned to wave "hi" and "bye." She is also clucking her tongue now. I am loving this age!<br />
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Here are a couple of photos of our little chunk at the beginning of her 7th month.<br />
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</div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-1943861958772780882012-01-06T07:35:00.000-08:002012-01-09T06:30:07.191-08:00Christmas 2011-Better Late than Never!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>As I mentioned earlier, our little family of four celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve day. We ate our apple dumplings, opened gifts, listened to Christmas music and just enjoyed the day with each other. That evening, we headed out to church. My brother's three youngest kids were in the Christmas program. Each of them had to say a piece into the microphone and sing two songs with their Sunday School class. All three did a great job--not needing any help with their parts at all! It's so fun to watch them every year, and I look forward to when Gemma turns 3 and can participate, too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma opening a gift. Harper is waiting in the wings in hopes that she will need some help!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little family before Christmas Eve service.</td></tr>
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After the program was over, we headed to Jeff's parents house. Jeff's sister is lucky enough to celebrate her birthday on Christmas Eve, so even though we arrived a little late, we wanted to be there for her day, too. (Coincidentally, my sister celebrates her birthday on Christmas Day! We don't usually get to see her, though, so we make a quick call to her.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating a birthday!</td></tr>
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On Christmas Day, we opened gifts with the Lin family and my mother-in-law made "hot pot." (I'm not sure of the proper Chinese spelling, so I won't even try!) It's basically a pot of boiling water that sits in the middle of the table. You pick the meats (scallops, thinly sliced beef, these Chinese balls of fish, ground pork balls, chicken, etc.) and veggies (mostly spinach and bok choy) that you want to boil and make your own little soup. Delicious!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma with G+G </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma's pretty Christmas dress from Grandma</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harper felt she should have gotten more presents</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousins in matching dresses. E is showing Gemma who is boss! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All three Lin babies!</td></tr>
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It was a hectic weekend and Gemma didn't sleep well at Grandma and Grandpa's house. So, we were all a little exhausted, and ready to get back into our normal routine. That didn't really happen, though, as we decided to pick up my niece Kaitlin on our way home. She spent a few days with us while she had days off of school.<br />
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We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on New Year's eve day so that my brother's kids could all be with us. (It ends up working out really well this way, so we're really not driving all over in a couple of days span.) I sadly forgot our camera from this day, but managed to steal a few pictures from Kaitlin's mom. It was a fun day. My mom made a big turkey dinner, my brother's kids said their pieces for everyone, and Kaitlin's family acted out the Christmas story with Gemma posing as baby Jesus. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My side of the family--Minnesota cousins!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jkl4wj8ZKLUFt5_-ssbjVp1GY06e8G-nlmqosbe1tkrghzg96XvGYXh3y7omeHcMldxkF3eIn0U3P4fTZkAZzy_YXWO_GNtaOatXQkIVKy8HykzuI01kYjBMMlhQZpWrsJRiDQEe1oh6/s1600/388315_2693472667759_1584821545_3656131_1434079230_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jkl4wj8ZKLUFt5_-ssbjVp1GY06e8G-nlmqosbe1tkrghzg96XvGYXh3y7omeHcMldxkF3eIn0U3P4fTZkAZzy_YXWO_GNtaOatXQkIVKy8HykzuI01kYjBMMlhQZpWrsJRiDQEe1oh6/s320/388315_2693472667759_1584821545_3656131_1434079230_n.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma and her oldest girl cousin, Kaitlin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-85277869396298599142012-01-05T07:39:00.000-08:002012-01-05T07:39:00.211-08:00Our first Christmas traditionsBeing a new family of three, I've been thinking about our own family Christmas traditions I want to create. It's difficult to think of them now since Gemma can't get very involved in them. I figure the traditions will build slowly over the years, and I'm excited to dream up new ideas every year. <div><br />
</div><div>Jeff and I started our own little tradition of opening our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve day, as we usually have plans with our extended families that evening and on Christmas Day. I also began making apple dumplings for breakfast that morning and that tradition continued this year. They looked picture perfect this year, and I was prepared to take a picture and post it here along with the recipe....until Jeff had to do some work quickly (even though he had the day off), and I put them back in the still warm (apparently too warm) oven. They soon were too dark to be called picture perfect anymore, but they, thankfully, were still good enough to eat!</div><div><br />
</div><div>At any rate, you'll have to trust me that these are fantastic and easy, albeit pretty unhealthy. Hey, its Christmas, right? The recipe is from my mom, and I'm not sure where she got it from. </div><div><br />
</div><div>1/2 cup butter</div><div>1 cup brown sugar</div><div>1 cup orange juice</div><div>1 tube of crescent rolls</div><div>2 apples, peeled and quartered</div><div><br />
</div><div>Melt the butter, orange juice and brown sugar together on stove top. Let simmer for a few minutes on low. Wrap each apple piece with a crescent roll and place in a baking dish. Pour sauce over apples and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. (I sometimes half the sauce portion of this recipe to make it a little healthier, and its just as good.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>One new tradition we added this year was taking Gemma to see Santa Claus at the mall. We chose a mid-week lunchtime to try to beat the crowds, and we were pleasantly surprised that no one was there at all! I expected Gemma to cry immediately upon being placed on Santa's lap because she has become afraid of men the past couple of months. (Mostly just white men...hehe. Really. She is not afraid of Jeff's dad or brother, but cries at the sight of my dad, brother, her godfather, and my brother-in-law.) Anyway, Gemma lasted a good 5 minutes with Santa before the water works started. We were really proud of her!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lVw7227e-pGdf6RL30EHRxVc8EgZ2O86sK99oveSSiarQyjsGmlxgLeu_-JByHQ-lK8c5IGoVjtvG_wWpX5_9QXWeOzsqXww6ECu9wyPfUvu7FW8sZrfWmyvp3ZsRx2XUs7wl7eB4ycA/s1600/IMG_6540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lVw7227e-pGdf6RL30EHRxVc8EgZ2O86sK99oveSSiarQyjsGmlxgLeu_-JByHQ-lK8c5IGoVjtvG_wWpX5_9QXWeOzsqXww6ECu9wyPfUvu7FW8sZrfWmyvp3ZsRx2XUs7wl7eB4ycA/s320/IMG_6540.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, hey! All is good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5I0G0XfrYEFRO6D1_WXhIu1WadVpfPVjWRNt7BypLDHxldCQKKo0DIQzFP_CPFieyCWRZ8MX413Shr9GOaY6mi1Qd86tEXq6Gs0O11LljLoUOpyFKuG6mjMLGHShgeTDP4b0WjJ1ESiwX/s1600/IMG_6544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5I0G0XfrYEFRO6D1_WXhIu1WadVpfPVjWRNt7BypLDHxldCQKKo0DIQzFP_CPFieyCWRZ8MX413Shr9GOaY6mi1Qd86tEXq6Gs0O11LljLoUOpyFKuG6mjMLGHShgeTDP4b0WjJ1ESiwX/s320/IMG_6544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait a minute! Who the heck are you?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN5o-2r6qraACLTMlScbXIYucpjDxqgE0Mv2D3xA8V-ADvMGx7C91P1Ndh2JI35gpbirHTk9OtjnFPBkF1cVepa6eZjAEYNd-TAmRjplO52toNNux9oNhOF8w4qVgv05lbSXAdZqs_N_J/s1600/IMG_6570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN5o-2r6qraACLTMlScbXIYucpjDxqgE0Mv2D3xA8V-ADvMGx7C91P1Ndh2JI35gpbirHTk9OtjnFPBkF1cVepa6eZjAEYNd-TAmRjplO52toNNux9oNhOF8w4qVgv05lbSXAdZqs_N_J/s320/IMG_6570.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And, we're done.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><br />
</div><div>Again, I'm so excited to add more traditions as the years go on and our family grows. (And, no, I'm not making an announcement...just that we do plan to have more children in the future.) I can't wait to create these memories with my loved ones.</div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-20790779993600483762012-01-04T07:37:00.000-08:002012-01-04T07:37:46.187-08:00PlaymatesI am super late in posting about this, but it was too fun to skip over. Gemma and I were invited over to my friend, Ann's, house for a little Saturday morning play date with Ann's two boys, Thomas and Henry. Thomas is 3 and Henry is 4 months older than Gemma--so about 11 months now. <br />
<br />
I wondered how our first playdate with the Johnsons would go. Would the boys want to play with my little girl? Would Thomas be bored with my not very mobile Gemma? My worries were immediately eased when I had a text exchange with Ann to let her know that we were running a little late. "No problem! Thomas is all ready for Gemma, lining up his cars for her." Indeed, Thomas was adorable with my little G. He separated out the "hard" cars that were too big for her and the softer, rubber cars that she could play with.<br />
<br />
Henry played quite nicely, too, and tried to teach Gemma how to army crawl (something she has not picked up on yet). Ann and I, or course, had great conversation along with our delicious coffee. It was fun catching up and we can't wait to get together again.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJo2yyI_kktsam0bpD_hJcS14yVd0CyXohc8ffjP5H006aDIeAT5IbrsGfK2nKkZ-Q64udbGU1n17iEpoNDNfBJMqlPjiYNBanJDOroXGGQg3z9E3kXmFUB38mXlZGHRdCKmQQyOr3Hdd/s1600/IMG_6459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJo2yyI_kktsam0bpD_hJcS14yVd0CyXohc8ffjP5H006aDIeAT5IbrsGfK2nKkZ-Q64udbGU1n17iEpoNDNfBJMqlPjiYNBanJDOroXGGQg3z9E3kXmFUB38mXlZGHRdCKmQQyOr3Hdd/s320/IMG_6459.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry and Gemma playing cars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHZy89QPpk1pPywxfxzKLpL-AL5LBkmHe0sIZhdm7V1FoAO7o81P5Eh3Fi_F6IV9d5XUzzpkRd1xG9hspVbYIZ0GxJHQoyuQs7atXFcx0SyyK1Ym1zMNXCsAtv_npewlRWaApvNHFScWf/s1600/IMG_6468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHZy89QPpk1pPywxfxzKLpL-AL5LBkmHe0sIZhdm7V1FoAO7o81P5Eh3Fi_F6IV9d5XUzzpkRd1xG9hspVbYIZ0GxJHQoyuQs7atXFcx0SyyK1Ym1zMNXCsAtv_npewlRWaApvNHFScWf/s320/IMG_6468.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo time! Gemma was so cute--she kept putting her hand on Thomas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG3zGJZmQ_DP31H10WtLk2o6PXE2ggE4EGg4rDT33PtXfFvhRStVVapIbgnEDbIQLBAz7uPDBVRmgbXsDcmF4Gtn-xOL0Y3qmRPPtwhXgtINZIvjrPUA0i2BM-FM0XJ1SUCVp880OMXcz/s1600/IMG_6488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG3zGJZmQ_DP31H10WtLk2o6PXE2ggE4EGg4rDT33PtXfFvhRStVVapIbgnEDbIQLBAz7uPDBVRmgbXsDcmF4Gtn-xOL0Y3qmRPPtwhXgtINZIvjrPUA0i2BM-FM0XJ1SUCVp880OMXcz/s320/IMG_6488.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And, Thomas can read the a flirty signal apparently! I think you're both a little too young! ;)</td></tr>
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<br />
<span id="goog_1575190892"></span><span id="goog_1575190893"></span>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-18154604437600127752011-12-15T08:53:00.000-08:002011-12-15T08:54:39.041-08:00Cindy Lou WhoOkay. I didn't mean to sound so Grinchy yesterday! I really do love the Christmas season. I love thinking of the perfect gift to get someone, making cookies, looking at the Christmas lights, and I really can't wait until Gemma is older and I can see her face light up at all of those things, too. I guess I was feeling a little like Cindy Lou Who yesterday. I just want to find and remember the true meaning of Christmas, and I suppose I've just had to try a little harder to find the Christmas cheer this year.<br />
<br />
I'm just finishing up sending out the last of our Christmas cards and I am in love with how they turned out. (I was feeling a little guilty that you can't see the babe's face very well, but I've since come to terms with it.) We took the photos ourselves. Took the legs off of the couch in our basement (it was my grandma's), carried into our backyard, set up the tripod, and proceeded to take about 300 photos. We learned pretty quickly that its difficult to get a dog and a baby to look at the camera, especially when there's no one behind it! We ordered <a href="http://www.peartreegreetings.com/Holiday-Cards/Christmas-Cards/2775-7996HFC-Radiant-Christmas-Stars--Horizontal-Photo-Christmas-Card.pro">this card</a> from <a href="http://peartreegreetings.com/">Pear Tree Greetings</a>, and I think the whole thing came together beautifully.<br />
<br />
Here are a few fun outtakes from our little backyard session:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYcWu4vGIaiq2fKBcnUfNmZx-XrcbrBqZzuJPp6bccWbT_gOYa4rpGJTL61zWn1ONlPoHc3A8zufoaPr4Ne4gEf3x1HzCa-WDij8J_4qo1LgjK5EEboqGRkWtyGBx0Lwgo7I6KY8UTh7v/s1600/IMG_5874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYcWu4vGIaiq2fKBcnUfNmZx-XrcbrBqZzuJPp6bccWbT_gOYa4rpGJTL61zWn1ONlPoHc3A8zufoaPr4Ne4gEf3x1HzCa-WDij8J_4qo1LgjK5EEboqGRkWtyGBx0Lwgo7I6KY8UTh7v/s320/IMG_5874.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot Harper? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmyONj1U_bv2JxlfrJcYNwXOs0Cv_0TijnShWuV7rER010H5bXq3WFYuXABBmrb6Qb9a2nEO1yrK-_WjAYbbpFZE35Z-yGWmfN-5CZ5ENV7g140Iwa6jW8InrsHxI5NgZqtWfrwhNSG4a/s1600/IMG_5953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmyONj1U_bv2JxlfrJcYNwXOs0Cv_0TijnShWuV7rER010H5bXq3WFYuXABBmrb6Qb9a2nEO1yrK-_WjAYbbpFZE35Z-yGWmfN-5CZ5ENV7g140Iwa6jW8InrsHxI5NgZqtWfrwhNSG4a/s320/IMG_5953.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squirrel! Squirrel! Squirrel! (I also forgot to take Gemma's nuk out of her mouth.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmiHUjFKI18jJkI_v83gjDOOfM3BzurEY-ItK3HTNeDfqJ1e6_yZfCIduDU0Ytv2uFbBo-56CW8-RjAlhfFRJA9Q__j81pGQJinokv-A4qZoxSEb7VEuNy6NloFW64UVTHXSyWNQZySJw/s1600/IMG_5970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmiHUjFKI18jJkI_v83gjDOOfM3BzurEY-ItK3HTNeDfqJ1e6_yZfCIduDU0Ytv2uFbBo-56CW8-RjAlhfFRJA9Q__j81pGQJinokv-A4qZoxSEb7VEuNy6NloFW64UVTHXSyWNQZySJw/s320/IMG_5970.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow! Jeff is REALLY happy. Harper looks like a pouting teenager.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And now for one of my favorites of Gemma. I was really tempted to make this our Christmas card, but we put it on an ornament for the grandparents instead. The hat was given to G by her auntie, Sophie. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRGOnwCkcQXNjkBO-b2BVfk1Uc1NehM_MmBstQviWPMqKPT-fafcr4DMvOvgbOIeGuch_tICwH7QogkoIm91SPcT4xXWnMmhoP322ZYs-_v2w6lRBC9DZ7P4LLI8WoCqq-WsQmKF1Ulrc/s1600/IMG_5342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRGOnwCkcQXNjkBO-b2BVfk1Uc1NehM_MmBstQviWPMqKPT-fafcr4DMvOvgbOIeGuch_tICwH7QogkoIm91SPcT4xXWnMmhoP322ZYs-_v2w6lRBC9DZ7P4LLI8WoCqq-WsQmKF1Ulrc/s320/IMG_5342.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the raw image. Jeff did a bit of editing before we ordered it. :)</td></tr>
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</div></div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-19826316099799235192011-12-14T09:12:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:16:29.258-08:00Do, do, do, do, do, do, do! It's Christmas!Is anyone else having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year? Maybe it's all the RAIN we're getting here in Minnesota. Maybe it's the disdain I feel for the even earlier start of Black Friday. (Clearly, I am not a Black Friday shopper. I am a mostly online shopper.) Maybe it's the fact that I've been to the mall more than I should during December. (Something I rarely do.) I don't know what my deal is, but I'm not feeling especially festive this year...even as I'm wrapping up sending the last of our Christmas cards today.<br />
<br />
Being that this is Gemma's first Christmas, I have a lot of fears of her not knowing the real reason for the season. I see people getting caught up in the gifts and the commercialization of it all--people who really know better--and it worries me. Even though this is Gemma's first Christmas and we want it to be special, she really is too young to remember anything or to understand. Therefore, we've decided to just wrap up a few things we planned on buying her anyway and letting her open them as her Christmas gifts. Mostly for the reason that she loves paper. <br />
<br />
I came across this awesome <a href="http://www.gusandlula.com/2011/12/christmas.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gusandlula+%28gus+and+lula%29">post</a> by<a href="http://www.gusandlula.com/"> Britt from the blog Gus and Lula</a>, and I think it's a tradition I'd like to start for our family next year. Four gifts. One want, one need, something to wear, something to read. I don't know that we'll ban Santa Claus from our home. We haven't really talked about it. My hunch is that we'll still incorporate him, but not really put much emphasis on him. Anyway, Britt's post is bringing me joy today and hope for our future. And, so is this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watchv=Qf6OoAZbAQg">song</a>. It's a new favorite this year. Here's to getting in the spirit!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-48041462789444052062011-12-07T14:39:00.000-08:002011-12-07T14:40:41.636-08:00Gemma's 6 months old!Holy moly! Where did the time go? I haven't written about all of the fun things Gemma is doing. She was 6 months old last week, but we had her 6 month appointment today. I was surprised to learn that she has two more teeth just barely peeking out on the bottom! I didn't really pay much attention to the bottom since I already knew she had two and knew that the next ones to come are usually the top. (She is also getting 4 up there, but they are not through yet.) Gemma had a big growth spurt at her 4 month appointment and was in the 90th percentile for height. She has since tapered off, which the doctor says is normal.<br />
<br />
Here are her stats:<br />
weight: 16 pounds 8 oz. (62%)<br />
height: 26 inches (61%)<br />
head: 16.25 inches (19%)<br />
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<br />
And here are the fun things she's up to:<br />
<br />
-blowing raspberries<br />
-starting to get her top teeth<br />
-sitting up all on her own<br />
-not crawling yet, but scoots backward and pushes up on all fours<br />
-eating solids here and there. We need to be more consistent, but I'm not big into pushing solids. She's eaten everything like a champ so far! We've done squash, carrots, pears, rice cereal, and bananas. I think she may have had a reaction to the pears, though. Poor girl got a rash!<br />
-loves her jumperoo and exersaucer<br />
-loves paper or anything that crinkles<br />
-loves touch and feel books<br />
-we moved her into her convertible carseat because she outgrew the infant seat lengthwise.<br />
-loves Harper and tries to "pet" her much to Harper's dismay.<br />
-talks (ie screams) constantly. (Unless there are new people around.)<br />
-loves to watch me cook and bake<br />
-loves the songs "Pat a Cake" and "If You're Happy and You Know It"<br />
-is now wearing 6-12 or 6-9 month clothing, mostly because she is too long for 3-6.<br />
-swats at everything. Don't let her fool you! You will think she's being all sweet and touching your face gently, but you'll end up with a scratch or a smack in the face! :) Stinker!<br />
-still waking up twice a night. Usually at 2 and 5. (Yes, I count 5 as night!) Although, on her 6 month birthday she slept through the night, which was a godsend for me because I was up the entire night with food poisoning. (I've never had it before and I would gladly go through natural childbirth again rather than have it again.) Some friends have suggested not feeding her and letting her cry, but I don't have the heart to do it. I'm not at my breaking point yet! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmApzG_UpygMJuPiRdZBE4qpfqTDrRfK4nlL8NhwGvpk-lWuw73HkVwXvB6dFqJV-aEAesUIHEhlCf4SqnF6gl8mXCB0yilrv_2nF7n6SWSnLtFs3qcHliMk_q7hcqsSjAiUMZZQVzsoFh/s1600/G.whitedress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmApzG_UpygMJuPiRdZBE4qpfqTDrRfK4nlL8NhwGvpk-lWuw73HkVwXvB6dFqJV-aEAesUIHEhlCf4SqnF6gl8mXCB0yilrv_2nF7n6SWSnLtFs3qcHliMk_q7hcqsSjAiUMZZQVzsoFh/s320/G.whitedress.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma in her Christmas dress reject. I really liked this one, but found one that looked better on her complexion!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_UcGsLzPTrefLlOTV54RBoXXIqJZmHI2qFOEYjqrNhNfUcQVBSfGBo6j9zQARp1AmOZ4hkKf5Xl3NhZvcDAbZ0F9mvf4L0QIrICTK0RJwbhSbwJ1K4RWYoDbxQWA1gUjyAbX7h4zi6fz/s1600/Gemma.6months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_UcGsLzPTrefLlOTV54RBoXXIqJZmHI2qFOEYjqrNhNfUcQVBSfGBo6j9zQARp1AmOZ4hkKf5Xl3NhZvcDAbZ0F9mvf4L0QIrICTK0RJwbhSbwJ1K4RWYoDbxQWA1gUjyAbX7h4zi6fz/s320/Gemma.6months.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma today after her shots at the doctor. She recovered pretty quickly!</td></tr>
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I can't believe it has been about three months since my maternity leave technically ended, and I have not regretted my decision to stay at home for a moment. I don't think I've ever been happier. (Not to say that there are not challenging days!) I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with Gemma. <br />
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I'm looking forward to watching her grow, change, and witness all of the new things she'll be doing in the next months. Walking, talking, etc. We're taking a baby sign class through ECFE starting in January, so it'll be fun to see if she picks up on that!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-70487391173485101772011-12-06T08:41:00.000-08:002011-12-06T08:41:23.731-08:00ConfessionsFor lack of having anything better to write about, I thought I'd help some of you get to know me better by confessing some of my secrets.<br />
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1. I'm not very good at keeping secrets about myself. Hence, this list. (I am good at keeping secrets for others though! Friends, don't quit telling me them!)<br />
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2. I love being surprised. Yet, I can't help but snoop. I usually know all of my Christmas presents before it comes time to open them. Sometimes its by accident. Sometimes not. I know, I know. I'm a child.<br />
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3. If my husband is not home for an evening, my dinner will sometimes consist of terrible foods such as graham crackers and frosting. Good thing he's usually home for dinner or I'd be a lot heavier!<br />
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4. I normally can't stand Mariah Carey, but I love her Christmas album. You really should check out the Relient K Christmas album though. It's one of my favorites even though its not traditional at all.<br />
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5. I sometimes wear sweats for pajamas so I don't have to get dressed the next day.<br />
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6. Our dog, Harper, sleeps in our bed more than our baby does. We always said we wouldn't let her, but...it happens! She's so sweet. She always has to have her head touching my leg at night. I don't mind too much. She's my little heater. We may have to upgrade to a king size bed if Gemma starts coming into our room when she's older.<br />
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7. We only have basic cable. We're going on our second year without it now and we don't miss it much at all. Jeff doesn't watch much TV at all and I found from looking at my DVR'ed shows that almost all of them were on the basic channels. We also don't let our baby watch TV at all, so we watch even less TV these days on. (We don't usually even have it on when she's awake.) We can always watch things online or go to our friends' houses if there is something we really need to see. (Hasn't happened yet.)<br />
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8. I'm a big picture sort of person. It's not that I don't notice the details or acknowledge the need for them. I just want someone else to do them. This drives Jeff crazy because if I start a project, I just want it to be done. I don't actually want to do it. So, sometimes, it sits half finished for weeks. (Um, 30 before 30 list anyone?)<br />
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9. I'm the youngest of five kids but I often feel like a middle child. (There are three of us living now.) My older sister and brother don't really get along. Well, I shouldn't say get along. They just are very different and don't really have much contact with each other. They do get along when they see each other once a year, and I know they love each other very much. But, I many times find myself defending one to the other when they talk disapprovingly of each other. I don't know when I became the peacemaker...Kind of a bummer, but it doesn't really happen that often. <br />
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10. I'm more like my mother than I'd like to admit. Not that my mom isn't a great lady, but I just never thought this day would come. I definitely have my dad's disgusting, inappropriate sense of humor though!<br />
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Okay, I think I've confessed enough for the day. Now it's someone else's turn! Go!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-1817325760082040812011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-18T12:51:48.070-08:00Photo Friday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhfLilbgATLKGBHX4Q4jV6fehrkWmANTa6QsAJZl4CdZdaOfDWuneRg3Ep0bbetHwNbAck36vgNl0ScW4p_pqS0VHnqOw4qJeiThuviBYGjcPNHYwg5sk-GI1370dU0qHuelta7DDeSES/s1600/aleta.hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhfLilbgATLKGBHX4Q4jV6fehrkWmANTa6QsAJZl4CdZdaOfDWuneRg3Ep0bbetHwNbAck36vgNl0ScW4p_pqS0VHnqOw4qJeiThuviBYGjcPNHYwg5sk-GI1370dU0qHuelta7DDeSES/s320/aleta.hair.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">I got my hair cut! I lopped off about 7 inches or so. I don't intend to keep it short, but I just couldn't stand to be losing so much anymore. (Lovely post-pregnancy hormones.) I know I'll still keep losing the same amount, but at least I'll find short pieces all over the place instead of long ones!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu53WaVIYK_hrOz3smhcQZAYyA949X1tmaC0ZUDFIauXwxDmSncMihoYvPP0WUcMLlZ8L_PiXufNP8uxxQZWchdijoRQdjNZJmpcStxOpJiMIhbb0fCCEjDbBPGJbJjLd7ihfKBJWYrqL5/s1600/gemma.snowsuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu53WaVIYK_hrOz3smhcQZAYyA949X1tmaC0ZUDFIauXwxDmSncMihoYvPP0WUcMLlZ8L_PiXufNP8uxxQZWchdijoRQdjNZJmpcStxOpJiMIhbb0fCCEjDbBPGJbJjLd7ihfKBJWYrqL5/s320/gemma.snowsuit.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had to share this cute one of Gemma in her snowsuit. She looks like a little pink marshmallow. She'll be needing a new one soon along with upgrading to her convertible car seat. She's only about an inch away from outgrowing the infant one. (Not sure how we got a tall baby!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT7wEu8XOq3US9-keMfZtjN09KkGOSXqOy0hddhz39nX6bwP2bU09JpYPGA7YAULUVghTtQB-zqhej6b2JP-lUNC2QHqUYz4cTEkFsIE6JbptNj1-gdiG3W5Cia8EjXitXriemTzDWGD3/s1600/gemma.tongue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT7wEu8XOq3US9-keMfZtjN09KkGOSXqOy0hddhz39nX6bwP2bU09JpYPGA7YAULUVghTtQB-zqhej6b2JP-lUNC2QHqUYz4cTEkFsIE6JbptNj1-gdiG3W5Cia8EjXitXriemTzDWGD3/s320/gemma.tongue.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a newer thing Gemma has been doing. She's all about sticking her tongue out. Constantly. I love that little weirdo.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXDqS-UWCYrPo5ZazBAj0V9buFSm2JOGZ-Mbm_dU5o0TnqkXLDJxEUUGSyG1Vd01bBwLwLfT54rwyp5RWN9tCtUkS-ozDF7Youjuj6S8OZeGTsm3CWgrjEUb8bTqKzIjPb5crIZhyg0To/s1600/verse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXDqS-UWCYrPo5ZazBAj0V9buFSm2JOGZ-Mbm_dU5o0TnqkXLDJxEUUGSyG1Vd01bBwLwLfT54rwyp5RWN9tCtUkS-ozDF7Youjuj6S8OZeGTsm3CWgrjEUb8bTqKzIjPb5crIZhyg0To/s320/verse.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Loved this verse. I was getting a heat massage (or something weird in a time capsule sort of thing) at Body Beautiful the other day and as I was waiting, I read some daily verses. This date is my hubby's birthday. I thought it was a pretty fitting reminder for him, so I snapped it with my phone and sent it to him. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This isn't a photo, but I wanted to share it anyway. :) Gemma has been using this jumperoo for a while now and loves it. We borrowed it from our friends and are so glad we did! (Along with a lot of other bigger toys that I said I never wanted! wink wink.)</div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-45115197134620575232011-11-16T13:03:00.000-08:002011-11-16T14:25:21.449-08:00Next Year I will Make CheesecakeToday is the day my oldest brother, Matt, was born. My parents were so young---my mom was 20 and my dad was 23. Being the firstborn, there are a lot of stories of Matt's young childhood. My dad likes to tell a little ditty of the day he was born. Dad told Mom Matt looked like a monkey. Mom cried. <br />
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Matt could walk at 8 months and could recite every nursery rhyme under the sun by the time he was a year old. His first word was "cocky." (My dad is a little mischievous.) Matt was fast. Matt was athletic. Matt was popular. Homecoming king, in fact. I was in first grade and probably 6 years old that year. All of the high school girls liked me (because of Matt, I'm sure). They gave me those knotted thread bracelets (only to be worn on your left wrist, mind you). I sat next to those girls during coronation. One asked me who I wanted to win, and I said I didn't care. (Of course I did!) When Matt won, I jumped into his arms to hug him in the receiving line. That embrace made the newspaper.<br />
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Matt was always my favorite sibling. We rarely fought. Probably because we were so far apart in age. Even when he was mad at me, like the time I told on him for piercing his ear (ha!), he didn't hold a grudge for long. He was a sweet talker and I begrudgingly did things for him I really didn't want to do. I just couldn't say no to him. <br />
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Matt gave me the most beautiful little niece and goddaughter,<a href="http://soyinlove.blogspot.com/2011/08/catching-up.html"> Kaitlin</a>. She is one of the lasting reminders we have of him since he died in a car accident the day after my high school graduation. Kaitlin was just shy of her third birthday. And, even though she doesn't remember much of him, I try to remind her of how much Matt loved her. He was one of the most devoted dads I have ever seen.<br />
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Sometimes I'm sad about losing my oldest brother. I'm sad he didn't see me graduate from college, get married, have a baby of my own. I wonder what he'd be doing now. What he'd look like. But, mostly I just miss him. Miss confiding in him. I am, however, grateful. Grateful that I had 18 years with him. Grateful that we still have Kaitlin in our lives. Grateful that we were raised in a Christian family and, therefore, grateful that I will be with Matt again one day.<br />
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And, can I just add that I have the strongest mother on earth? You see, I always only knew how it felt to lose a brother. And, now that I have a child of my own who has only been here five and a half months, I can't even bear to think of losing her. Gemma and I baked some sweets and brought them to my mom at work today. We were celebrating Matt's life. Mom was reminiscing a little and reminded me that Matt always requested cheesecake for his birthday. I can't believe I forgot that. It's my favorite dessert, too. Next year and probably every year after that, I will make cheesecake.<br />
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P.S. In no way am I trying to paint Matt as an angel on earth. He had his fair share of faults, as we all do. One of my favorite memories is of him outrunning the cops on his friend's motorcycle. He ditched the motorcycle and ran into our house. My parents probably made a poor decision and told the cops they hadn't seen Matt since he had left earlier that night. Bad kid, bad parenting. ha! Anyway, I don't want to talk about his bad traits. I just want to remember the good. For today, anyway.Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-87934145653246490012011-11-11T08:12:00.000-08:002011-11-11T08:12:03.135-08:00I always thought........I wanted my children to inherit my blue eyes. (I knew this wouldn't be likely when I got married, considering my husband is 100% Chinese.) But, I find myself gazing into Gemma's brown almond-shaped eyes and thinking they are the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.<br />
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.....I wanted an important job where I would have authority and decision-making power. I now have that, but it's a completely different job than I ever expected. And, it certainly doesn't come with a high paying salary. (It does come with huge perks and is more rewarding than I ever expected.)<br />
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.....I would move far away from my hometown to a big city like Chicago. I never did that, and while it makes me a little sad that I probably will never move out of Minnesota, I'm thankful to be so close to my parents and my in-laws. Knowing that my kids will grow up having a close relationship with both sets of grandparents makes me happier than the city life could. (I guess there's always Minneapolis?!)<br />
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Today, I'm grateful for being totally wrong about so many things in my life and knowing that He has bigger and better plans for my life than I could even imagine.Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-84526388221952066652011-11-08T08:11:00.000-08:002011-11-08T08:11:52.445-08:0030 Before 30 Update<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" style="width: 530px;">I realize now how crazy I was to make some of these goals. I clearly didn't realize how much having a baby changes your life. But, one of my main goals for the goals (ha!), was to ensure that I didn't lose my sense of self when I became a mom. I, of course, have goals for motherhood and for my baby, but that's not what this list is about. :)</div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="width: 530px;"><br />
</div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="width: 530px;">Now, before we get to it. I have to say that I'm honestly not sure I will keep this list or not. I don't like a lot of the goals because they are not specific. I'm not sure why I did that--it's one of my pet peeves! "Become a better blocker, setter, and hitter in volleyball." How the heck am I going to measure that?! Man, I must've really had pregnancy brain when I wrote these goals. ha! That's what I'm blaming anyway. And, some of the things I just don't think I plain want to do anymore. Dye my hair blonde. Meh. I don't think so.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><strike>1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Run half marathon </strike> (yeah!)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Finish 90 days of P90X or complete a round of Insanity (I haven't decided which yet)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn to knit</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn to sew well enough to hem pants</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Become a better blocker, hitter and setter in volleyball</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Buy a piano and start playing more</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn to give myself a proper manicure</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> <strike> </strike></span><strike>Find a fish recipe I can stand to eat regularly</strike> (Still liking the Thai Coconut Curry Tilapia!)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">9.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Read 6 non-fiction/business related books</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">10.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn and master Adobe Photoshop</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">11.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Ride in a hot air balloon (This one may not get done. Does a helicopter ride count?)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">12.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Take a weekend trip alone with my hubby</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">13.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Take up crafting/painting/drawing again</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">14.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Finish decorating all rooms in upstairs of home</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">15.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Have family photos taken</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">16.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Read the entire Bible</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">17.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn to make angel food cake from scratch</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">18.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><strike>Prepare, plant, and maintain a fruitful vegetable and herb garden</strike> (I only kind of did this. My mom actually planted the garden for me as I had just had a baby. We harvested a lot of green beans, rosemary, and basil.)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">19.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Do our taxes myself</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">20.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Decide once and for all which church our family will attend and be members of</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">21.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Build wooden planters for our house</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">22.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Re-paint our front door the perfect shade of yellow (I found the color! Just need to do it/hire someone to get it painted!)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">23.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><strike>Figure out landscaping for our backyard </strike>(I had a landscaper come and give us estimates. We just need to have it done in the spring now. $$!)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">24.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Find an organization where I can volunteer on a regular basis</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">25.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Dye my hair blonde</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">26.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Make Bolo Bau from scratch</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">27.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn basic, conversational Mandarin </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">28.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> <strike> </strike></span><strike>Update my marketing portfolio</strike> (Did this when I officially quit my job!)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">29.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Learn how to use my hot rollers</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-left: 31.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">30.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Research my family history on my dad’s side</div><div style="line-height: 1.4;"><br />
So clearly I am not one of those people who accomplishes things when they publicly put them out there. Lesson learned. (Insert my blushing face here.) At least I got a few things accomplished that I may not have had I not made this list at all. I'm going with that. Someone hold me and tell me its okay. </div><div style="clear: both; line-height: 1.4;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em;"></div>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-12386905919089896992011-11-04T12:53:00.000-07:002011-11-14T07:47:04.964-08:00Halloween 2011Gemma's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. I knew we would just stay home and hand out candy since she is too young to eat candy and it would most likely be to cold to take her around the neighborhood anyway.<br />
<br />
Even though we weren't planning to go out trick or treating, I wanted Gemma be in costume when we answered the door for our trick or treaters. I originally had intended to make her costume out of a long-sleeved onesie I had dyed. (I was going for mustard yellow, but it turned out bright yellow instead.) I was going to hand stitch some black fabric of some sort into stripes, put some black leggings on her, add some wings we had on hand, and call her a bumble bee.<br />
<br />
Enter my sister and her ebay shopping. She sent me a link to the cutest baby Halloween costume. A koi fish. My father-in-law loves koi ponds, so I couldn't resist. (He and Jeff even bought about 100 gold fish a few summers ago and put them in the pond behind our house to see if they would survive. We saw some pretty big buggers out there this fall!!) I decided to put in the minimum bid on the outfit and figured if I won, great, and if I didn't, we would have a bumblebee! (Might I add that Jeff was "disgusted" to find that I had bid completely wrong because I didn't wait until the last minute.) Well, I won the auction. Guess I showed him!<br />
<br />
We don't get many trick or treaters since we live in a newish, small development, but we had a great time anyway. Our new neighbors and friends, <a href="http://harstadshome.blogspot.com/">Sarah and Adelyn</a>, came trick or treating and Gemma and I decided to walk around to a few houses with them, too. Next year, we'll probably go around the entire neighborhood with them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULhLHOYJXTXPG-g1Y7-xYspa7pgCcfryAz8N6xiYeUbF_9uOO7Z9gx8ERyKVWnt1fMZOeoj6CM8-BFRQTUVMS7pT0Qn0JQghd0BbVI5KQ38sr2ldI1RoAWO4xnP0okFGT6kKnmC43_5IO/s1600/IMG_5234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULhLHOYJXTXPG-g1Y7-xYspa7pgCcfryAz8N6xiYeUbF_9uOO7Z9gx8ERyKVWnt1fMZOeoj6CM8-BFRQTUVMS7pT0Qn0JQghd0BbVI5KQ38sr2ldI1RoAWO4xnP0okFGT6kKnmC43_5IO/s320/IMG_5234.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a pretty nice day! Harper was a pumpkin for about 10 minutes. Her costume from 2 years ago doesn't quite fit anymore!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBKxY2P0BCr-cJVfUzlSy5C4IMa6aAdQukchTe13k691swNiRqWkdx_d1nwGulGB9LgtGA5asu_0UEfNYJQNP8QkZzGNM0uPtVTq9Mb8CYhz6DOWz7leDODC9hz6shTjVb7Sp7OEQK-GQ/s1600/IMG_5262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBKxY2P0BCr-cJVfUzlSy5C4IMa6aAdQukchTe13k691swNiRqWkdx_d1nwGulGB9LgtGA5asu_0UEfNYJQNP8QkZzGNM0uPtVTq9Mb8CYhz6DOWz7leDODC9hz6shTjVb7Sp7OEQK-GQ/s320/IMG_5262.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handing out candy put this baby right to sleep!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-21647292153441930692011-11-03T12:40:00.000-07:002011-11-03T12:40:32.639-07:00Half Marathon Completed!One of my goals on my 30 before 30 list was to complete a half marathon. I knew if I didn't run in the Mankato Marathon on October 22, I probably wouldn't be able to complete that goal before I turn 30 in March. So, I began training at the beginning of August, and man, it was a little rough! The furthest I had ever run was a 10k, so it was pretty crazy to me that about midway in, my "short" runs were 5 miles. <br />
<br />
One of the benefits of my hubby working from home while I stay at home, is that I could go out for my shorter runs when the baby was asleep either for her morning nap or her afternoon nap. It mostly worked out; however, there were a couple of times when I'd get home and Jeff would say, "She woke up as soon as you left and didn't stop crying the entire time!" But, he was so supportive and would give it a try the next time with no hesitation. <br />
<br />
I've always used the Nike+ ipod device when training for my 10k runs, but this time, I didn't start using it until about mid-September. I didn't want to get too caught up (and thence, discouraged) in my times, especially at the beginning. Plus, I knew that it can be difficult to get it calibrated EXACTLY. So, I tried not to be too hard on myself when I discovered I was running only about 11 minute miles on my long runs (the 8+ milers). I told myself "Hey. I just had a baby not that long ago! Just run so that you can finish!" I'm pretty sure my body is still moving back into place as I would have a sore hip after many of my long runs. I was starting to feel like an 80-year-old woman.<br />
<br />
So, the day of the race, I was super nervous. I had one main goal and a sub-goal. :) My main goal was to finish the run without walking, and my sub-goal was to run 10 minute miles. I knew the sub-goal would be kind of hard to accomplish since I hadn't been running that during my training. But, I held out a little hope that my adrenaline would carry me a little faster. <br />
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It was super cold the morning of the race (maybe in high 40s?), and there were so many people there. They all seemed like they were running with someone, so I felt a little out of place. Jeff and Gemma dropped me off, and I lined up with the 9:55 pacer, only to see one of my friends from book club! We decided to run together, but agreed that if either one of us need to drop behind or move ahead, we would just do what we needed to do. I was so thankful to have her!<br />
<br />
The run was AWESOME. The weather was perfect for a run. The course was gorgeous. The "fans" were fabulous! I was SO grateful to see friendly faces in Christy, Angie, and Katie. (Not to mention Jeff, Gemma and my mom!) And, it turns out my Nike+ipod device hadn't been calibrated very well at all! I had most likely been running 10 minute miles and better all throughout my training. I ended up finishing the race in 2 hours and 7 minutes, which was a pace of 9:43. I'm pretty proud of myself, but honestly, a little disappointed because at the end, it felt just a little too easy. Maybe I'll run another one some day and shoot for under 2 hours, but right now, my body needs a break! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ485hInsZBOsdkt-NT0LEVCyiba0i2Ep8zAwm91xYJqriOUbzjrhKpMqbdxGPPAlaJRYCGLr_gG4ItneV3sGBFZWBQbQXssS7w35DsVCi7_l1eefmK97cUWZSQKF_ltz08n33AoRW6ubC/s1600/IMG_4881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ485hInsZBOsdkt-NT0LEVCyiba0i2Ep8zAwm91xYJqriOUbzjrhKpMqbdxGPPAlaJRYCGLr_gG4ItneV3sGBFZWBQbQXssS7w35DsVCi7_l1eefmK97cUWZSQKF_ltz08n33AoRW6ubC/s320/IMG_4881.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 12ish.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishers medal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5Uaxvd4qf2GgYr_dKAnrHAUavSdi1G3u-Vk4E5SL_DyWXnfxenLysVsidmolqs_xf0pBe4IHYFFYXNtcTBBfNQRJefMhj7ZYqJBpDQCX0ny5mjVS3kxoB4tevDyDFz4AoM4f0NOaGsVN/s1600/IMG_4902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5Uaxvd4qf2GgYr_dKAnrHAUavSdi1G3u-Vk4E5SL_DyWXnfxenLysVsidmolqs_xf0pBe4IHYFFYXNtcTBBfNQRJefMhj7ZYqJBpDQCX0ny5mjVS3kxoB4tevDyDFz4AoM4f0NOaGsVN/s320/IMG_4902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family photo time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWzgCzVbCZqrA7h5-s3GloCWtzKgrG_QrlZygaKV8_FuK13eOzsAvSUom8aLdk4odG29ETaEGhor7eikQUNE8RASgdTehkpB8YIdl5YsnSVd5DeCg0CIEj_IDQH361dqz85NvMZWJUQAl/s1600/IMG_4904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWzgCzVbCZqrA7h5-s3GloCWtzKgrG_QrlZygaKV8_FuK13eOzsAvSUom8aLdk4odG29ETaEGhor7eikQUNE8RASgdTehkpB8YIdl5YsnSVd5DeCg0CIEj_IDQH361dqz85NvMZWJUQAl/s320/IMG_4904.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The running was a little exhausting for Gemma!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So, I can cross off another thing on my goal list. (One of the few, I'm afraid.) I'll post an update soon on the things I have accomplished on my list. Maybe that will give me some motivation to get a few more things done in the meantime!Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-4849967725472426272011-10-11T06:53:00.001-07:002011-10-11T06:53:10.845-07:00My latest addictionIf we're friends in real life, you already know that I'm addicted to<a href="http://pinterest.com/"> Pinterest.</a> It's a site where you have pin boards to virtually pin your ideas that you find online. I have found so many great ideas for decorating, dressing Gemma, and for baking and cooking among other things.I have pinned so many things that I love but will probably never make or do, but I'm okay with that. Even if it inspires me to do or make a few things, I am happy.<br />
<br />
I recently made the yummiest chocolate chip cookies I found on Pinterest (and, subsequently, gave some to the neighbors to make up for my bad doggie, Harper's behavior). I rarely bake. It's not because I don't like sweets. It's quite the opposite. It's that I have no self-control. These cookies definitely proved that point once again. My mom says if I bake more often, it won't seem like such a treat and I won't eat as much. Do you think this is a theory I should test? Hmmmm.<br />
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Anyway. Here is the recipe. You can follow all of my boards on pinterest<a href="http://pinterest.com/lin_aleta/"> here</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fff3db; color: #29303b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeh_2jWkSQIKDCmBLpnJsoI4l8dElMvMBOKDzq2ksNWWvOGQ_y4_TzWtf21V7qMPI0VVkNyzggWcJBE_TOJ8OeU0JQYEa3yxSnxqQyOTj3WabxAtu1qqHmmpXC5rhMt2asssYWW6SMjE/s1600-h/chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg" style="color: #956839; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451472855862067122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeh_2jWkSQIKDCmBLpnJsoI4l8dElMvMBOKDzq2ksNWWvOGQ_y4_TzWtf21V7qMPI0VVkNyzggWcJBE_TOJ8OeU0JQYEa3yxSnxqQyOTj3WabxAtu1qqHmmpXC5rhMt2asssYWW6SMjE/s320/chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">The BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">(<a href="http://rachelleunderwood.blogspot.com/2010/03/best-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">original recipe</a>) </span></div><br />
2 c. plus 2 tbsp flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
12 tbs. butter, melted, then cooled till warm<br />
1 c. brown sugar<br />
1/2 c. sugar<br />
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1 c. - 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a large bowl in the microwave just until it melts, don't scorch it! Add sugars, vanilla, and salt to butter mixture. Add egg and egg yolk, blend. Add flour and baking soda, mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoon sized cookies onto an ungreased, light colored baking sheet. Cook for 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden...do not over bake.Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-14655345374818641972011-10-05T20:45:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:45:15.347-07:00August<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>August was a pretty busy month. (Aren't they all?!) So, I guess I left off with Gemma's baptism.<br />
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<u>Twins Game</u><br />
The following week, as a member of the Bethany Lutheran College Alumni Board, I helped host at a reception prior to the Twins' game in Minneapolis. This was the first time I had left Gemma for more than a couple of hours. So my trusty pump came with me. Luckily, our reception was in the downtown Wells Fargo building and I had a nice curtained room for nursing mothers to use. The reception was pretty well attended and I even won a pretty sweet Bethany sweatshirt. <br />
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I met up with a few friends at the game and we spent most of the time walking around, checking out the different views. Target Field is quite the site! I don't follow baseball, but I enjoyed my visit anyway. We ended up losing in the ninth inning, which was a little disappointing. Hey, even if I don't follow baseball, I still like the home team to pull off a win! I had a great time catching up with my college friends, too. It's unbelievable how time flies and lives change!<br />
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<u>Evan</u><br />
Two days after the Twins game, my good friend (and Gemma's godmother) Katie, had her second child. Evan is such a cute little baby. He has a dark complexion like his mama, but looks mostly like his dad. He makes the funniest little "horsey" noises in his sleep and is just a sweetie. I'm really enjoying having some adult company a couple of times during the week now that Katie is on maternity leave. She lives about five blocks away and we sometimes meet up to take our babies and dogs for a walk. We've also been meeting for coffee about once a week, which is usually much needed! I'll miss our time together when she goes back to work in about three weeks.<br />
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<u>Gemma's first road trip/family reunion/ cousin's wedding</u><br />
The end of August brought Gemma's first road trip. We headed up to the Superior, Wisconsin area for a family reunion on my mom's side of the family. We do this every year since my mom has such a large family (She had 14 kids in her family, giving us more than 30 first cousins. Add in cousin spouses and kids and you get total chaos for a weekend!) We have always stayed <a href="http://www.heartwoodconferencecenter.com/">here</a> and usually go the weekend prior to the weekend we went this year. My mom, the main organizer, picked that specific weekend because it fell closest to the date my (now deceased) grandparents were married. Anyway, we changed the weekend to a week later this time because my cousin was getting married about 45 minutes away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma's first road trip. Can you spot her?! She's pretty excited.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The drive to the retreat center is about four hours. Jeff took half a day off work so we could get up there by dinner time and enjoy some family time before we needed to head to bed. I was a little nervous for the drive with Gemma, but she was a star! She slept so long that I got nervous, and we decided to stop for some water and woke her up to feed her. (I didn't want to get to a place on the road where she'd wake up and we wouldn't be able to feed her right away.)<br />
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We arrived right after most people had eaten, but everyone was eager to take Gemma off of our hands so that Jeff and I could have dinner. Most of my aunts and uncles had not yet met her, and I think she might be the new favorite. :) My uncle, "Paco," even told me that she is his new buddy for T-wolves games. :( (Meaning she is my replacement!) The mosquitos were AWFUL and as much as we tried to shield Gemma from them and cover her up, she didn't come away unscathed. My aunt gave Gemma a little tumble (let's not talk about it), which wore her out quite a bit, so we put her to bed and enjoyed a bonfire the rest of the evening.<br />
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Saturday was a whirlwind. My little family had to leave for the wedding early because my cousin had asked me to play piano for the ceremony. My two nieces wanted to join us, so we had a car full. Those two girls made the drive fun! The ceremony was beautiful and we couldn't be happier for my cousin, Shaila. We headed out to<a href="http://www.barkersislandinn.com/"> Barker's Island</a> for the reception, and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. The dinner and dance were both lovely, and Gemma adored all of the attention she received. An added bonus to the wonderful time we had was that my "favorite Uncle Paco" purchased a helicopter ride for my niece, Kaitlin, my cousin, Tarina, and me. It was a short, but awesome ride. We headed back to the retreat center and I managed to spot a coyote on the way back. Again, such beautiful scenery "up north!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLec2OWiSbQKpRFkC5NtDm75-s_c7A8aHmKameQgLqHm9BdalaMWdUH6IOqBtAPMwRXoKJfO1JlImiuskicf1vY5qML7bdYHwAfYTanDfSQA4LI3CM4ges1sG1X_in_BPH-2mn5lRnMeh/s1600/IMG_3608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLec2OWiSbQKpRFkC5NtDm75-s_c7A8aHmKameQgLqHm9BdalaMWdUH6IOqBtAPMwRXoKJfO1JlImiuskicf1vY5qML7bdYHwAfYTanDfSQA4LI3CM4ges1sG1X_in_BPH-2mn5lRnMeh/s320/IMG_3608.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My nieces, Gemma and me before the wedding.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wedding reception right on the marina. Gorgeous!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb2sWWGhz3Aqq1QFIU3c3p6pd3SWvcb75x9UHpxkP9euXRgzQ_CwtlN5jhtUkQ7B4OG_AHKW7Gc72vR9Ly74kvaH5zvwHVK1oEwp9-ubcTEnyseAjquBnZy16iq8AOg724KEOK2r5v7bR/s1600/IMG_3748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb2sWWGhz3Aqq1QFIU3c3p6pd3SWvcb75x9UHpxkP9euXRgzQ_CwtlN5jhtUkQ7B4OG_AHKW7Gc72vR9Ly74kvaH5zvwHVK1oEwp9-ubcTEnyseAjquBnZy16iq8AOg724KEOK2r5v7bR/s320/IMG_3748.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful bride!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-codFEvDRPTZAbHU4ML4ovN-hCf57NOOrylML8oh3TPNbLUy93bHY8L1OErlWemV_BKiffr97wJYzZzp1aTb9__92NrgTUX26YewRhkj1BWfCRG49OCHqNP3BHoA7fk8HV700CulyHEGW/s1600/IMG_3890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-codFEvDRPTZAbHU4ML4ovN-hCf57NOOrylML8oh3TPNbLUy93bHY8L1OErlWemV_BKiffr97wJYzZzp1aTb9__92NrgTUX26YewRhkj1BWfCRG49OCHqNP3BHoA7fk8HV700CulyHEGW/s320/IMG_3890.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ride!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous views over Lake Superior.</td></tr>
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</div>Sunday morning we enjoyed a big, family breakfast. Again, chaos, but a lot of fun! Jeff and I were even able to get out on the kayaks for a little bit while my mom watched Gemma on the dock and took in a little bit of sun. (No sunburn this time, though! Gemma wore her hat.) A great end to a great weekend.<br />
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<u>My Sister Visits!</u><br />
My older (and only) sister lives near Detroit with her pastor husband and three young boys. We usually only see them about twice a year because it is difficult for her husband to get time away from his work. The drive is long (about 12 hours) and the flights are expensive (usually $300+ per person), so we usually only go to see them once a year and they come to visit us in MN once a year. I was so happy I could spend the entire four and a half days with them this time! And, man, did we pack it full!<br />
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The first day we just hung out at my mom's house. They all met Gemma for the first time, which was so fun. The boys were all really good with her, and the youngest, Milo (age 2), really loved her. He was always asking to hold "baby Gemma." Ahh. Her boys are so sweet and adorable. We grilled and had a picnic outside for dinner and Jeff was able to join us then.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milo loving on Gemma at the Yellow Mushroom.</td></tr>
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The next day my sister's family, my mom, and Gemma and I, headed to <a href="http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/minneopa.shtml">Minnepoa to see the falls</a>. I hadn't been there in years, so I didn't remember that the falls area was not the most stroller friendly place. Duh. We managed though and hung back in a few places so the boys could explore. After that we picked up a pizza and headed to <a href="http://www.visitgreatermankato.com/visitors-outdoorrec.php">Sibley Park</a>. It was super hot (90+ degrees with a lot of humidity), but we had fun anyway. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The falls were kind of small because we didn't get much rain this summer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaagVGLc3bbVswpxuP03nhHRkYIH0U71QLpAmEHEgldG57AfAUBtRchyt3qkbzKd3czpKR9ciLPOUaCPE4YxddIC4-zTCV5BxeP6Vhi_ISvM1LBZyFebQuixA5E2Wllm_lvp8Gh53mzjRH/s1600/IMG_4157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaagVGLc3bbVswpxuP03nhHRkYIH0U71QLpAmEHEgldG57AfAUBtRchyt3qkbzKd3czpKR9ciLPOUaCPE4YxddIC4-zTCV5BxeP6Vhi_ISvM1LBZyFebQuixA5E2Wllm_lvp8Gh53mzjRH/s320/IMG_4157.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys exploring.</td></tr>
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Friday, Gemma and I decided to take a bit of a break and stayed home. :) We met up with my sister's family, my parents, my brother and his oldest son at one of my sister's favorite local restaurants, the Yellow Mushroom. They have the best pizza!<br />
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On Saturday morning, we headed to mom's house for a pool party. The weather was pretty overcast, but the kids had a great time. My little niece, Malanie, hung onto me pretty much the whole time in the pool. I taught her how to play "Motor Boat," and we did that a few times in between trying to hit her brothers with noodles, balls, etc. Gemma hung out with Grandpa Paul on the side of the pool and was quite content watching the kids play. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a blast at the pool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfrxiK1MBTPCMmgcRPDJEhvau8ilwdPe1j2KVk64HhWRFZ4eb4stmnNanFbC6Dm1JFaPzpD32HcKEA38jZnEjekQFo5b6l_o9aZXO_XAr5nr_CMYnqr5E4w1npguI8QsUGMu5vZ-2Wj_j/s1600/IMG_4351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfrxiK1MBTPCMmgcRPDJEhvau8ilwdPe1j2KVk64HhWRFZ4eb4stmnNanFbC6Dm1JFaPzpD32HcKEA38jZnEjekQFo5b6l_o9aZXO_XAr5nr_CMYnqr5E4w1npguI8QsUGMu5vZ-2Wj_j/s320/IMG_4351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa Paul and Gemma hanging out poolside.</td></tr>
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We met up again on Sunday for church and had lunch with the family before my sister headed out. The trip was so short, but we had so much fun. Jeff, Gemma and I will catch up with the Nelsons again in early February when we meet up with them for vacation in Florida! We can't wait!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmldN3yYVkSh6VQIF2PW7OkVHKr_yo4gU3VFcdYAvtsa6k3ogowt_uZC0L_A5gfh1MckN62ih5lTeKbWMsXXgLPxL-B72xtABdip687EjxUChxsWHhj-tWHjLFDpoJ9uYcQYHFz3ZEo5Q/s1600/IMG_4358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmldN3yYVkSh6VQIF2PW7OkVHKr_yo4gU3VFcdYAvtsa6k3ogowt_uZC0L_A5gfh1MckN62ih5lTeKbWMsXXgLPxL-B72xtABdip687EjxUChxsWHhj-tWHjLFDpoJ9uYcQYHFz3ZEo5Q/s320/IMG_4358.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last photo after church before the Nelsons head back to Michigan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741400832858488941.post-50404014790682036522011-10-04T05:56:00.000-07:002011-10-04T05:56:57.317-07:00I'm Back!Not that I really went anywhere. But, I've finally got access to all of my pictures. I haven't blogged because who likes posts without pictures? Not this lady! Okay, they're all right--but a blog without pictures for two months would not be fun. I'll try to do my best to remember the last two months in my next posts.Aletahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06539424060566159368noreply@blogger.com0